"... Because: America's Finally Ready For a Pretty President." :)
Posted on 02/06/2005 2:47:08 PM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
MANCHESTER, N.H. - (KRT) - Three months after losing the last national election, former U.S. Sen. John Edwards effectively began his campaign for the next one Saturday night.
Edwards, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, rolled out a new stump speech at a state Democratic Party dinner, acknowledging the critics who say the party doesn't stand for anything. The party's future, he declared, is in asserting bedrock moral principles, such as lifting Americans out of poverty, a message he will take be taking across the country in the coming months.
"What the country is looking for in its leaders, and certainly in its president," Edwards said in an interview before his speech, "they're looking for people who have a strong set of beliefs, who have core convictions and a passion for them and a willingness to fight for them."
Bill Clinton's "triangulation" or "third way" between liberals and conservatives dominated the Democratic Party for the past decade. Edwards, however, wants to steer Democrats away from policy nuances and targeting segments of the public - advocating core beliefs instead of chasing NASCAR dads.
"It's in contrast with people who believe the way the Democratic Party should go in the future is engage in some kind of strategic maneuvering," he said. "I just think that's dead wrong."
His speech, delivered in the state that holds the pivotal first presidential primary, is just the latest move as Edwards positions himself for a second run at the White House. He has similar appearances lined up in Florida later this month and Connecticut in April. He has kept himself in the media spotlight, conducted conspicuously timed interviews and even made a stop at a high school basketball game Friday night to cheer on the Manchester High School West's Blue Knights.
This jockeying comes 13 weeks after Edwards and Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's loss in November and three years before the next New Hampshire primary.
"There's no such thing as too early," said New Hampshire state Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, a leading state Democratic figure who backed Edwards in 2004 and still does. "Out of sight is out of mind in our business. So you're never out of sight."
Edwards, who has not said whether he will run in 2008, cautioned that he was invited to New Hampshire by the state Democratic Party. He is saying thank you to supporters, he said.
On Friday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced that Edwards will head a new center on alleviating poverty, a constant theme in his run for the presidency last year before losing the nomination to Kerry. Edwards gave up his U.S. Senate seat to run for president, so the center, identified as nonpartisan, will give him a platform from which he can talk about and advance ideas.
"What Senator Edwards needs to do is engage in those kinds of policy issues," said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Kathy Sullivan, who said Edwards' departure from the capital could have a silver lining. "There is an anti-Washington feeling out there. It's probably a good thing for Senator Edwards not to be sitting in the United States Senate at this time."
Edwards' Edwards call for enunciating a core set of beliefs may sound like a shot at Kerry, the man who picked Edwards for the No. 2 spot. But Edwards doesn't say it that way and instead praises Kerry, who has not ruled out running again. Edwards agreed, though, that President Bush succeeded in appearing to stick to his beliefs.
"He did convince some people," Edwards said, "that he believed in what he was trying to do."
Edwards finished fourth in the New Hampshire primary, but support for him remains strong, Sullivan said. In the primary, 16,641 voters went as far as to write in Edwards for vice president even thought the ballot didn't even include that category.
Other backers, however, now have doubts. Rick Keating, dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at New England College in Henniker, raised money for Edwards and helped arrange for Edwards to speak at Keating's son's high school. November's loss and Edwards's lack of a public office now has shifted Keating's thinking.
"I don't know if John can win anymore," Keating said, but he still planned to come hear Edwards speak.
Yeah, contrived sincerity....that's the ticket.....
"... Because: America's Finally Ready For a Pretty President." :)
The Democrat Party's drive for the White House is going to more like demolition derby than anything.
"I don't know if John can win anymore," Keating said,
I don't think any of the Johns or any demorat candidate can win the Presidency. Maybe that is why so many get into the primary, to see if they can win maybe one state, which in their mind, makes them a winner.
I saw his act on C-SPAN.
Definitely a lightweight.
Will we never be rid of these people? It's like they think they're running a shadow government.
It's the media that won't let the Kerry/Edwards thing die. They are still heartsick over their loss.....
Couldn't even carry his own hometown!
Edwards seems to think he's Clinton and can make a come back
Not a chance that's gonna happen
Within three months the U.S. political system has come full circle: A presidential campaign, an inauguration, a State of the Union address and now - another presidential race. Possible Democratic candidates, top row, from left are, former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites); Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack; former Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), D-Mass.; and Sen. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record), D-Del. Bottom row, from left: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson; Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites), D-N.Y.; and Sen. Evan Bayh (news, bio, voting record), D-Ind. (AP Photo/Files)
Yep, he's running...he had that icky mole removed from his upper lip. I'm sure he thinks that's why he lost....
Nominate a guy in 2008 who couldn't take his home state and has been out of office four years and has no base of support? The Dims are stupid, but not THAT stupid.
John Edwards: The political equivalent of breast implants.
Somewhat attractive to the small-minded, totally artificial, and meaningless.
;-)
Oh good Grief ... what a line up the Dems have
I haven't seen this lame a lineup since the 2003 Detroit Tigers.
The Dems can't run on their "core beliefs" because they wouldn't even get elected for Dog Catcher if they did
That is why we are seeing Hellary giving center to right speeches
The "core bliefs" of the Dem Party is socialism
Remember his last debate? Smackdown!!
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